Eps 54 “Stepping Up Long Before You Feel Ready” with Dr Andrew Old

Today, we are joined by Andrew Old, the Deputy Director-General, Public Health Agency and Mental Health Group with the Ministry of Health, New Zealand. Andrew is a public health physician and has held a number of clinical leadership roles, as well as executive leadership and governance positions in strategy, community participation, patient experience, and quality improvement. Andrew was the 2018/19 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow for New Zealand, and was based between the Clinical Excellence Research Center at Stanford University, and the Social Interventions Research Evaluation Network at UC San Francisco. Upon returning to NZ he was almost immediately seconded to support the COVID-19 response, latterly as Chief Clinical Officer, before becoming the inaugural Deputy Director-General for the Public Health Agency on its formation in July 2022. Andrew received his medical and public health degrees from the University of Auckland, and is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. He was awarded Fellowship of the New Zealand Medical Association in 2011 for services to the profession and the public. Let’s dive in to our conversation with Andrew Old. Key moments in the podcast: 00:00 Podcast Intro 01:16 Meet Andrew Old 02:53 Growing Up With Music 04:48 Awe At World Health 06:49 Staying Grounded 09:45 Choosing Medicine 15:30 Finding Public Health 18:47 Becoming Systems Minded 21:08 Study That Shapes You 26:48 First Leadership Leap 29:59 Learning On The Job 34:14 When Leadership Gets Hard 40:29 Hope And Purpose Ahead 43:47 Three Career Nuggets 47:48 A Quote To Remember Here is what stays with us from this conversation: **Growth Happens When You Step Up Long Before You Feel Ready** \* **Embracing Uncertainty:** Backing yourself and taking leaps when opportunities arise, rather than waiting for a “perfect” moment that never comes. \* **Navigating the Unknown:** Stepping into executive and managerial roles—even before having formal experience in managing people or corporate budgets—by trusting your potential. \* **Just-in-Time Learning:** Prioritizing targeted, practical skill development when new challenges present themselves over relying solely on traditional degrees. **True Fulfillment Comes From What You Do, Not What You Want to Be** \* **Shifting Career Focus:** Moving away from chasing titles or rigid career milestones to focus on what a “good day” of meaningful work actually looks like. \* **Systems Thinking Over Quick Fixes:** Looking “upstream” to understand the broader context, social determinants, and systemic dynamics behind front-line issues. \* **Leading with Curiosity:** Asking better questions and remaining continuously curious to appraise complex situations critically. **The People and Culture Around the Work Matter Most** \* **Environment Over Job Description:** Recognizing that even the perfect job on paper will not bring fulfillment if the team dynamic and work environment do not fit. \* **Grounding in Community and Family:** Maintaining perspective in high-demand leadership roles by prioritizing family, daily routines, and personal connections. \* **Perspective and Empathy:** Remembering that success in human-centered fields relies on honoring others and harmonizing efforts toward a shared goal. **Authentic Leadership Bridges Divides Through Vulnerability and Hope** \* **Disarming Cynicism:** Facing skepticism—including your own—by openly calling out doubts and re-anchoring efforts in the fundamental “why”. \* **Honoring Professional Identity:** Maintaining core personal values and professional ethics while transitioning into broad governance and civil leadership roles. \* **Amplifying Symbols of Hope:** Actively seeking out, celebrating, and sharing moments of progress to sustain a sense of purpose within large, complex systems. Connect with Dr Andrew Old This is an original podcast by Flyntrok. We help organisations, communities and individuals change and adapt to a new world. You will find Flyntrok on LinkedIn, Instagram and X. Listen to this podcast on Substack, Spotify or Apple. We would love it if you would leave us a comment, screenshot the episode and tag us on social media, and share this episode with your community so that they can better navigate their forks in the road. Hosted by Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland Produced by Rajeev Nedumaran of Studior. Music by Damian Smith of Bespoke Music. Art work by Ben Tibbin of Mozmo Creative and Social Media Creations by Alana Rauert of Muse Communications. **Disclaimer:** The views expressed in this episode were those of the hosts and the guest, not of any entity they work for or with. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flyntrok.substack.com